Circus Nature have been trying to negotiate in good faith. Would like to address this. Will cover in public comment.

Review and approval of the February minutes: Dusty motions. Pleasure seconds. All in favor.

Public comment:

Member of the public would like to know what the status of the Mateel Meal is? (Has been gone.) Babette is researching grants and will present a proposal to the Board when ready. Currently do not have staff time to dedicate to the meal without a grant.

Circus Nature: Does not want the Mateel Hall sold to pay their $3000 bill I do not want them to declare bankruptcy in order not to pay. I do not want to sue the Mateel. What I do want is someone to talk to. Someone who will negotiate and create a payment plan. You have every right to change what you do with Kidlandia. I would like feedback about our performance. Feel excluded from the continuing operations. Feel there is prejudice against them to not talk about SAMF because of ROTR debt. I would like to read the letter I submitted to the board so it’s in the minutes. Cost is half price, other half is donated.

Peter: Reggae? Talk after that announcement.

Meal: Understand the money issue. Has been working with Food For People. One thing that seems forgotten: recommends that each one of you finds a project and them create a team for that project. Doesn’t seem you alone can handle all of this. With legalization. All business sales are down. Affecting everything. Need to bring people together. The meal can do that. We need to be a team. We don’t need fancy food. Trailer and sandwiches? There’s a bus that she can give to us. Could prepare here and deliver elsewhere? The Mateel is the core of the community and what we all believe in.

Andrew Burnett wrote a letter and submitted it to be read – in summary: feels the Dear Coordinator letter allows the board to see where its PR and Marketing is a miss with its membership and core. Is a longtime member, employee, volunteer, coordinator, lifetime member, board of director member including Vice President. Shocked to receive an impersonal letter. Would have donated his coordinator position for free. Would have preferred a phone call. Feels aerial imagery would be useful for advertising – we continue to use his past work. As for addressing our debt through marketing, feels more transparency is in order including posting meeting agendas on the website in advance, posting of unapproved and approved minutes on the website – will enable members to be able to stay current on decisions made and will enable members to trust this organization again.

Rick Cooper: At the membership meeting, had an idea for fundraising. I think the money is out there for us to put the debt to bed. The thing I’m troubled by is I made that offer and I haven’t been contacted to help participate. I think there’s a piece here: what other resources. We need people to step up. But we also need people to connect with people when they step up. One little idea: I hear that there are still fire departments, etc. that aren’t paid. Think about going to those communities and get a family in that community to host a meeting and talk about it or fundraise at the meeting itself. Specific to that debt.

Why did we decide to send the letters to coordinators?

It was not a group/board decision. We knew we needed to cut things, and directed the festival manager to do so. The abrupt way it was handled is unfortunate and regrettable. Even if coordinators want to volunteer, we may not want them to. We’re really trying to streamline and improve the event.

Office Report: Charity

N/A

Special Presentation: Darryl Cherney re fundraising proposal

Abby: I would like the Mateel to stay open because it’s fun, and sometimes there’s cakewalks.

A list of binding resolutions to ensure no such debt is ever incurred again.

New Business:

Reggae on the River Public Comment:

Peter: organizer of Northern Nights and operator of the One Log House. The productions that we do are a lot… have offered as NN a loan because we want to help… I respect so much what you guys do. Whatever decisions are made tonight. Would like three more days to counter what is proposed tonight. Would provide my services for free to assist permitting for the event. We may be looked at as a for-profit group, but we care. I stand by what I said 3 months ago is that we’re still here to help.

Kevin Jodrey: I’m one of the largest contributors to the Mateel. My investment is pretty real. I’m here because I realize you’re in trouble…the community’s broke too. Have heard there is a way for someone local to keep control of Reggae rather than someone outside. Feels that would be a better choice, to stay local.

High Times/Reggae on the River MOU:

The Mateel has been in negotiations with High Times Productions to ease Reggae on the River. Cannot divulge details of the MOU – still in negotiations. The Board must vote to adopt the MOU in order for negotiations to advance.

Dusty motions. Eryn seconds. All in favor. (One absent.)

Non-profit booths? Length of terms? Cannot reveal terms due to NDA.

When can we share? Too soon to know, but probably fairly quickly.

Finance

Settled with ModSpace. Had sent us to collections. Were able to get low interest or no interest loans with 3 community members. $15K. Settled for half.

$719,690 total debt currently.

Tanya Malley is doing really well bringing in sponsorship money. Money is allocated for SAMF. Have been able to make payments to the school district, North Coast Mercantile, CHP, traffic crew, and others that we’ve identified so that we can produce the fair.

Final report from Patrick Schwartz sent us his final report this morning, and we’ll hopefully report at it during our next public meeting.

Personnel

N/A

Building/Hall

Low-budget, couple of us working on things as they come up. Need a monthly meeting for people to come help work on things. Fixing the back door. Need to paint an area. Will advertise. Saturday following the public board meeting? Look at Charity.

Casandra and Megan cleaned out the merch. room. Can now buy merch. in the office. Can open up the merch. room and use it as a store during concert. Talked a little but about the feng shui plan and some other things that need to happen.

Lineup is almost complete for SAMF. Changes in the festival. Solar Stage: Lunar Stage: DJs. Lawn Stage combined with belly dancing temple. Half the live music will happen, half belly dancing. Main Stage: less spots for band music. More people vying for those spots. What we have is local acts. Some historical. Regional acts. Then headliners. Working with a lesser budget this year. Will make decisions with the committee’s help very soon. Deadlines coming up for festival guide.

Old Business:

Board training: Bruce organized board training – half the board was set to go, and then we were snowed in. Will reschedule.